Ruined World
by silentXscream
Summary: Exile fanfic with a little romance and a lot of war....and a lot of things like "it HAD to be THAT WAY, didnt it!" enough to make you wonder if things will ever be right again...of course, in order to realize THAT, you'll have to read the story...reviews
1. The Assignment

April 26th, 1872

It wasn't over.

Erika could feel the strength draining from her. Powerful though she was, she could feel herself weakening.

How, how? How had it come to this?

She took a final glance at her beloved Exile. She could remember, with a stinging tenderness, when she had become known as the most powerful mage of Exile. Now, with all the dragons dead, and herself horribly weakened, they needed to find an ally to win against the Empire. _Rebels._ She scoffed at the word. It _was_ the Empire's doing, after all. _They_ were the instigators.

"May Eternal Damnation befall you!" she cried. These were to be the last words to spill from her lips.

Erika the mage locked herself in permanently in her tower, allowing no one across the bridge.

March 29th, 1902

The line definitely wasn't moving.

Katrina didn't know what she was thinking, standing in this line. Sure, she had hours upon hours of vigorous training with Damian, the head trainer of Exile and also one of her closest friends. But that didn't mean she was ready for combat...did it?

She felt someone come up behind her and put an arm across her shoulders. "You look like you're going to be sick," Damian said playfully.

"I just might," replied Katrina, without the playfulness.

"Ah." Damian squeezed her shoulders. "Don't you worry about a thing. I'd put our whole city on your shoulders." He moved forward swiftly to where Alexander stood and handed him slips of paper—assignments.

Katrina stood in line to sign up for the military/exploration teams. It was a joint effort to fight back the Empire and scout out land that was safe to live on.

Many years ago, the Empire's evil leader decided to banish all those who didn't fit in with the norm—the weird, the convicted, the foreigners—to an underground dungeon of sorts that was quickly named Exile. The Exilians spent over a hundred years studying magic, and combat skills. They developed their cities as well and soon they were almost their own species—well educated, and well rounded as well. Very able, by this point, to invade the Empire. Which they proceeded to do.

They were not initially sucessful, however. Lead by Erika, the most powerful mage, they were beaten. They won, sometimes. But more often, they were beaten.

The final blow came when the last dragon died. Erika was greatly weakened, and she shut herself up in a tower that she made herself. She allowed no one to cross the bridge that led to her. She became a recluse.

It is said that Erika still holds the key to winning the war. It is also said that only a certain person is allowed to cross the bridge. That person would become somewhat of a hero to Exile.

Katrina wanted that person to be her. It wasn't just the hero factor. She always felt the need to prove herself. She was one of few female combatants and mages, and the others never let her forget it.

Except Damian, she thought. She and Damian had been friends for almost five years now, and lately she had begun to get feelings from him that she hadn't ever gotten before. She had even noticed that his actions toward her had changed, and his attitude had changed to a more personal level. She had spent a lot of time with him one-on-one lately, and it sometimes seemed as though he could have the same feelings for her. Sometimes. Sometimes, because there were other times when it was obvious that he only thought of her as a friend.

These thoughts confused her so much to the point where she didn't even want to think about it anymore. That was part of the reason why she had chosen this particular mission. If chosen, she would be far away from Exile...and Damian. This would give her time to think.

Suddenly she realized she stood at the front of the line. Alexander, the assignment dispatcher, handed her a yellow card. She stepped out of line and walked all the way to her quarters before she would allow herself to read it. She carefully flipped it over and held it in her shaking hand. The card read:

NAME: Katrina McGovern

AGE: 19

ASSIGNMENT: Sector 377-A. Specifies in mage combat. City area of Shayder.

Katrina drew a deep breath. She had heard many things about Sector 377-A. It was almost a death wish. Shayder was a dangerous area all on its own, and it was so easy for spells to fail. She knew that generally only high ranking officials were chosen for this assignment and couldn't help wondering why she had been chosen herself, having no combat experience.

Later, she showed Damian her card. He also drew in a deep breath. His eyes shone with a mixture of admiration and worry. If anything should happen to her...

For a long time, Damian had begun to think of Katrina as more than just a friend. But his walls he had built around himself would not allow him to tell her. If she was anything like his past experiences, it would ruin the friendship. And he would die before he let that happen.

But at the same time, he admired her for being chosen. It was not something that happened often.

"You know," he said, "There's a lot to be said for being on this kind of expedition, at any rank. I knew you'd make it. And I know you'll do just fine." Promise me you'll come back, he thought but did not say. Promise me.

She smiled weakly. "Thanks," was all she could manage.

He hugged her tight. It took everything in him to let her go.

April 1st, 1902

Katrina and seven others trooped through New Cotra as they prepared to enter the portal that would take them to Shayder. They were discussing their form of attack.

"We must slow them," said Fabio, a respected old mage. "Slow them and put them in slumber, so they will not be able to resist the massive amount of attacks that we shall procede to rain on them."

"But many are resistant to magic," Aorken argued, a more militant sort. "We must not forget to make use of our many weapons we have in supply."

Katrina tuned out and let the others argue until they approached the portal. Seles, the portal supervisor, collected their cards, surveyed them, nodded, and returned the cards. Then she opened the portal and allowed them to go through.

Same day, later time

The group came to rest just outside of Shayder. Late through the night they talked, planning out strategies. They made what seemed to be a lukewarm effort to include Katrina, but she also knew that it could possibly be in her mind as well. Her head was spinning with thoughts that she wanted to get rid of.

"You will be stationed here," said Fabio, pointing at a seemingly arbitrary place on the map. "You are to wait until you see the red belts of the Empire soldiers before you cast the spell of webs and slow. They will never know what hit them. You will be perfectly hidden and when you have succeeded you are to wait for my signal before you move a muscle. Do I make myself clear?"

Katrina nodded and spoke with what she hoped was a voice of confidence. "Yes."

A hint of a smile appeared on Fabio's lips. "I thought you would. Now go get some rest. We have a big day tomorrow."

April 2nd, 1904

Battlefield

Katrina trembled as she crouched in her hiding spot, a place where no one could see her. Surrounded by leaves, they shook with her as she thought about the many ways this could go wrong, and then forced herself to think the opposite way. Think good things, she thought. Good things!

Her mind inevitably turned to Damian.

Trying to force him out of her mind, she turned her attention to the direction of the troops. The minute she saw the red belt, she intoned the Slow spell and Web spell. The soldiers were suddenly not moving very well. Her spell had been cast perfectly.

With one exception...

Fergal Lawler was extremely magic resistant. He was known for it. Katrina's spells hadn't fazed him in the least.

He had wonderful tracking abilities, too. He could see her clearly. He knew where she had cast from.

It took little effort to load his bow with a poisoned arrow and shoot her in the head.


	2. The Message

AMADEUS: aw thanks...for reviewing...I hope you continue to read mine...and for the record, my heart's still broken...

DAUNTING DARKNESS: I'm glad you liked it! This is definitely NOT a one-shot...I've got a plot in mind, but any suggestions are more than welcome

MARY: well thanks for reviewing...I hope you post something on here eventually...I'd follow it, definitely

TINKERING: we should most definitely start an exile revolution...and you should keep going with yours...even though it's a one shot. Heh heh.

Later that day

Aorken rubbed his shoulders and winced. He had been pierced with a sword and the blood was flowing freely, though he knew he would not die. Instead he called Zachary, the resident priest who could heal him.

Zachary grimly examined the wound, muttering to himself as he did so. "How did this happen?" He finally inquired of the mage.

Aorken sighed.

"This will not do," he said without answering the question. "We don't have enough warriors, or mages, or anything at all. We need an ally. We can't win like this."

Zachary shook his head. "You're tired," he chided. "Lie down and rest. You're not thinking clearly."

"I am in sound mind!" Aorken shouted. "We need to form an alliance with someone. With Erika weakened, we can't win by ourselves!"

Zachary was silent for a moment, thinking to himself. He did not know it, but he and Aorken had the same thought at the same time: we are doomed unless something else happens, fast.

Then they both came out of their reverie at the same time and parted without a word.

The next morning

April 3rd, 1904

Fabio was tired. He had spent the last five hours planning things in the dark with only a weak fire to aid his vision. And now it was dawn, time to move on. He began to look about the tents. Everything seemed so rushed, hurried. The tents were hammered into the ground with the intention of staying one night and packing up quickly in the morning. A one-night stand in the forest, he thought dryly. A one-night stand in war.

"TROOPS!" He bellowed. "Move out!"

Stumbling, yawning, and grumbling in general, his party gradually made their way out of the tents and into the world. Michael, a seventeen-year-old toothpick with extraordinary dexterity and an almost unreal talent for handling a bow and arrow. He rubbed his eyes and looked disoriented, squinting at the unusually bright sky. Aorken, who merely stepped out of his tent and stood at Fabio's right. Dario, a mage, who usually had something to say but now only yawned openly. Zachary, the resident priest, and the only one who looked calm and collected. Quinn, the expert at alchemy, who held some type of potion in his left hand. And finally, Brenden, the oldest and wisest among them, a sage. He did a quick mental count in his head and spoke: "We're missing someone."

Chaos blanketed the camp until Fabio shouted, "ENOUGH! I will take roll." He searched with his eyes as he began to call off names. "Aorken?"

"At your side, captain," Aorken responded.

"Quinn?" rattled off Fabio.

Quinn swallowed. "Present."

"Katrina?"

No response.

"Katrina!" Fabio repeated, slightly raising his voice.

No response.

Fabio bit his lip and thought. How long ago had she disappeared?

No time to figure that out. No time for anything.

"SEARCH THE FOREST!" He roared. No one asked questions. Immediately they split up and covered the land, searching, searching.

And three hours later, came up with only dead ends.

"We are going to have to notify her family," Aorken said softly.

Fabio punched his fist angrily into the ground. "We don't know if she's dead! She could still be somewhere!"

It was later that night. The group had moved a few miles east, not as far as they were supposed to have moved, but as far as Fabio was willing to move. While they were still in the vicinity, there was still hope of finding her. The rest of the group was asleep, or at least, trying to be. Fabio and Aorken were the only ones who remained awake, talking.

"Nevertheless," Aorken continued. "You must notify her family. And her friends, and anyone else who she was close to. You owe them that much. If we find her, it would be wonderful. And we can notify them of the change. But for now we must tell them the truth as it stands. They have a right to know."

Fabio sighed. "You're right," he said simply. "But I don't like it. I don't like it at all."

"You think she's still out there, don't you?" Aorken said sympathetically.

Fabio shook his head thoughtfully and was silent for a moment.

"I know so."

April 4th, 1904

Ghirka, Exile

Damian and Alex sat drinking coffee in the main room of the inn where they were currently residing.

Damian had no real home. Orphaned at age 16, he was a wanderer. He lived in many places, staying for no more than a week. Sometimes he had made friends, but they were usually lost to him when he moved, and soon he stopped trying to make friends except people who he knew he'd always be in contact with. And then, of course, the few girls he had dated, each which ended in disaster and the permanent cutoff of all ties.

And then there was Katrina.

Katrina was different from everyone he'd ever met. She was strong, to be sure, and trustworthy. She was a rock-solid friend, a constant that he'd never been able to find anywhere else. And lately, he'd been wanting to be more than that. But he couldn't tell her, not while knowing that it would begin the end of what they already had.

He had a talent for screwing up.

So he finished his coffee with a touch of raspberry and vodka, and looked at his most recent companion. "I'm going to turn in," he said. "I'm tired."

Alex nodded. "All right," he agreed. "'night."

Alex was slightly different too, in that he wasn't concerned with pretense or mental blockades. Alex was his companion for this time of war, had been for the past two years. He was a rock-solid friend too, in that Damian had no doubt that Alex would always be around.

Three minutes and thirty three seconds after Damian had left the bar/café, an off-duty guard rushed in.

"Alex! Alex Rowin!"

Alex turned, slightly buzzed and slightly confused. "Yeah?" he inquired.

"Where is Damian?" demanded the guard. "We must find him!"

Alex tried to move his muscles into a frown. "Uh...he went to bed. Can I help you?"

"You must give him this message immediately!" the guard cried. Then he stopped, realizing that Alex would probably not recall a word he said five minutes later. So he reached over and grabbed a paper-thin napkin, scrawling down a message in haste. He glanced over it to be sure it was legible, then folded it and planted it into Alex's hand.

"_Do. Not. Lose. This._" Hissed the guard. "It is very important."

Alex just nodded and waited for the guard to leave. Then he unfolded the napkin and read the message.

He instantly turned pale.

Damian was lucky he'd gone to bed. It was probably going to be the last night of decent sleep he'd ever get.


	3. Insomnia

TINKERING: Michael is my default priest too…heh heh. I don't even know what the three tests are, so the idea's all yours. Yeah, I think it'll have Vahnatai…we need them to win!

DAUNTING DARKNESS: Aww…I'm glad you love my story. Yeah, Damian's gonna go through a lot during this story. Haven't decided how I want it to turn out where he's concerned just yet.

MARY: yes…yes it does. I'm glad you like it. expect to see more creative beverages coming your way…heh heh

ANGELA: yeah….it is rather difficult to write sometimes but you're my writing buddy, you always understand…thanks for reviewing, I know this story means absolutely nothing to you since you've never played the game.

AMADEUS: and yet my heart is STILL broken…nice Fabio story lol, idk about deaths but don't worry my story will have Fabio in it for awhile…and yes, you're quite the sadist…and I LOVE YOUR STORY!

It was seven thirty in the morning and Damian had rudely awakened by the ending of a dream, unable to return to his slumber.

He kept having this gnawing feeling in his stomach. Like something bad, horrible, would happen to someone he loved. Something had happened, he could feel it. But what?

His thoughts were interrupted by Alex bursting into his room, carrying what looked like a folded napkin, crumpled up in his hands. "Damian! Wake up! …Oh…" he trailed off, seeing Damian lying on his back with his hands behind his head. "I'm sorry, did I wake you?"

"No," said Damian in an unusually quiet voice. Alex moved closer to him and frowned. "What's wrong? You sound…different."

"What's in your hand?" Damian asked him, completely ignoring the question.

"My hand?" Alex glanced down at the remains of the napkin in his left hand. "Blast it!" He unfolded it as best he could and then remembered what it said. "You're not gonna like this," he warned.

"Read it," said Damian listlessly.

Alex shrugged. "We regret to inform you that Katrina McGovern has been reported missing by her party." He glanced up at Damian nervously. "That's all it says."

Damian's facial expression did not change. He seemed to sink into the bed as he closed his eyes for a full minute, his chest rising and falling with the sharp breaths he inhaled. Then he threw off his covers in one motion and stood on the floor, shaking.

"I'm going to find her," he said.

"By yourself?" Alex gave him an are-you-crazy look. "You're liable to get yourself killed. Don't you know how dangerous it is out there, even with a party?"

"I don't care!" Damian roared. "She could be dead, but she could be barely alive! She might need me—someone," he amended hastily. "What are you doing?" he added as Alex began to pack a bag with his few possessions.

"I'm going with you," said Alex. "We can cover twice as much ground that way. And I'm not letting you go by yourself."

Damian didn't hesitate. He began to pack a bag too. "Pack lightly," he said unnecessarily, for neither of them had much to pack in the first place.

Seven minutes later, Damian and Alex checked out of the inn and began to head south.

"This is pointless," said Alex, drawing in a deep breath. He felt exhausted from endlessly searching and finding nothing. "We've been looking for two days straight and we haven't found anything."

Damian stopped in his tracks and rested his head against a tree. When he'd gotten his composure, he said in an even, measured voice, "Then what do you propose we do instead?"

"Find her party," said Alex. "They can at least give us some direction. Timing is everything, my friend. A second, a minute, an hour, a day. Any of those could make a difference to her. We can't afford to spare anything."

Damian was silent for five minutes, thinking to himself. He weighed his options. He had to, needed to, find Katrina. For her sake and his. Maybe Alex was right. Maybe the fastest way to do it was in fact to find her party. In fact, now he was certain. He nodded at Alex and finally spoke.

"Let's go."

Fabio, Aorken, and Brenden were the only three that remained from Katrina's party. They were far from their original base, and they were in every way lost. Lost in unfamiliar territory, weakened, and utterly confused. And they had been this way for almost a month, with virtually no contact with anyone else.

But all this changed when Brenden the ever-so-wise heard a faint rustle in the brush. He froze and then proceded to cautiously move about, anxious to discover what was on the other side. He was careful not to disturb any loose branches or leaves. Then he withdrew his crossbow and loaded an arrow, holding it taut. "Who's there!" he barked, wondering if he'd actually get an answer.

Brenden stopped in his tracks when he heard the faint cock of a gun. He crouched low to the ground, heart pounding. Then he heard a warning shot and a rapid, hushed "What are you doing?!" Brenden immediately leapt to his feet and shouted, "Show yourself!" The bushes moved a little more and then emerged a familiar figure and an unfamiliar figure. The familiar figure was Damian Spence, a well-known trainer who never stayed in one place for more than a month. His companion was unfamiliar but undoubtedly a friend. Brenden lowered his weapon and shook his head. "What in Merlin's name are you doing here?"

Damian spoke first. "I don't believe I know you," he said coolly.

Brenden sighed. "My name is Brenden Towers, one of the few that is left of the sector 377-A. Other survivors are Aorken Smyth and Fabio Larimore. And you must be Damian Spence, searching for Katrina…I'm sorry to tell you that I don't know where she is either."

Damian looked as though he might fall over. While he struggled to get control of himself, Alex interjected, "And why should we believe you?"

Brenden shrugged. "You don't have to," he replied. "You can continue searching for her by yourselves if you want. But we can help you."

Alex swept his gaze over Damian, who was lost in thought. Brenden waited patiently for five minutes as both mulled their options over, watching their faces dictate their thoughts. Then Damian took a step forward towards Brenden, and Alex followed. Brenden smiled and nodded and began to walk to where Aorken and Fabio awaited, near a blazing fire.

"Did you catch the lurker?" asked Fabio in a disinterested manner.

"The lurker was just the person we were hoping to see," Brenden declared. This got Aorken's attention and both stared at Damian and Alex, contemplating over what to say next.

Aorken spoke first. "So you have heard the news?" he asked quietly, not knowing the amount of heartache and mental torment it was bringing upon Damian, who merely nodded and collapsed on the ground, head in his hands. Alex took over. "We were hoping you might have some clue as to where she might be," he said. "Or that you might want to team up with us, or…"

"That's an excellent idea," agreed Fabio. "We ought to split up, now that there are more of us. Alex and Aorken and I will search where she had originally been assigned. Damian and Brenden will search slightly to the north. We can move south if needed and rotate out more as needed to. Any suggestions?"

All were silent.

"Get a good night's sleep," Fabio finished. "We've got a big day ahead of us starting at sunrise."


	4. We Have Forgotten

It was early in the morning. Everyone was tired, and Fabio, Aorken, Brenden, Damian, and Alex sat around the remains of their campfire, planning their rescue journey. They had began to make changes from their decisions last night. Firstly, they agreed to keep Alex and Damian together, but since both were experts in combatant skills, Aorken the mage was designated to go with them. Fabio and Brenden made the other pair, and they decided to search the area to the north. The former group decided to search the immediate area to where she had been assigned her mission, where she was last seen and heard from.

However, while they spent the entire day vigorously searching, they met only with dead ends. And no one was around. The only area unsearched was a small house, more of a cabin than anything else. But it looked deserted. No way could anyone actually live there.

"I hope our friends are having better luck," Alex sighed, sinking onto the ground. Damian remained wordless, his face a blank slate. Meanwhile, Aorken circled the area, his eyes finally resting on the lone cabin. "We have nothing to lose if we search there," said Aorken. "Perhaps there is someone there who can help us. And if we don't search it, we won't be doing a complete job."

Alex nodded in agreement and rose, looking expectantly at Damian to follow suit. Still refusing to speak, or to allow anything at all to cross his face, Damian followed Alex and Aorken to the steps of the cabin.

"Should we knock?" Alex asked.

In answer, Aorken pushed open the door.

she felt so drained

and tired

and what was that crunching behind her head

she staggered to her feet and rubbed her aching head

she immediately turned her gaze downward

she had been lying on the ground

the crunching she had heard were the leaves that served as her pillow

her clothes, while rumpled, were intact

she did a double take

why was she on the ground

how had she gotten there

where was she anyway

and her head

oh her head

it hurt so bad

she put a hand to her head

why did it hurt

something sticky was on it

she could feel it

it felt like

could it be blood

it was dark red

mixed with some kind of green

green

where did green come from

she began to feel woozy again

how long had she been sleeping

what was going on

she tried to walk

concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other

staggering

she used trees as her crutches

until she came upon a little building

a house of sorts

it was empty

the doorknob turned easily in her hand

she stumbled inside

made it as far as the ratty couch on the far right side of the room

then her world became black

but she lived here

for days

weeks

had a month gone by

and she lived alone

she didn't know anyone

or why she was here

or who she was

she never found out why she was on the ground that day

there was no one to tell her

now she hears voices

and she hears the doorknob turning easily in someone else's hand

she rushes to the door

and she

screams

Aorken's forwardness was met by a bloodcurdling scream. A woman—girl, more like, stood near the door screaming uncontrollably. She looked as though she hadn't seen any form of a human being in ages. She wasn't speaking in words, just screaming, her body shaking. She was obviously quite weak, as she looked incredibly frail for her young age and she was having trouble standing. She finally collapsed into a chair and quieted, burying her face into her hands. Aorken nodded to his companions, and Damian and Alex crowded in behind him. The three of them just stood there awkwardly until the girl raised her head and said softly, "I'm sorry."

Her statement was met with blank stares. A flicker of something went through Damian's eyes and instantly ebbed away. No one saw it.

"I haven't seen anyone in so long," she continued. "And I wasn't expecting people to come barging in like that…can I help you?"

"How long have you lived here?" Aorken asked her.

She seemed deep in thought, until finally she said, "I have no track of time. I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I don't know anything."

Damian took over, walking swiftly across the room and putting his hands on her shoulders. "Look at me," he commanded her, and tightened his grip. "_Look at me._"

Her eyes widened in fright. "Do I know you?" she gasped, struggling to get free.

Damian felt his heart wrench as he punched a hole in the nearest wall. It _was_ her. It _had_ to be her. What happened to her? What happened? It became a merciless chant in his mind until he finally voiced it and cried, "What HAPPENED to you? _Why_ don't you know me?"

The room was dead silent. All eyes were on the girl as she paced, back and forth, across the room. Finally she stopped in her tracks and trained her eyes on Aorken.

"You," she started, "I don't even know who you are, and you go and walk into my house like you own it. And you," she continued, facing Damian, "You scream at me like that's going to help me remember anything. I'm as confused as you are." She stopped, then frowned. "However, it is getting late, so if you need a place to stay, you're more than welcome to what little space I have. As long as you promise to be gone in the morning."

"That will be fine," said Aorken, following her lead to the bedroom. "How much do I owe you?"

She laughed then, a musical laugh that swept the room. "No fee," she assured. "I'll sleep out in the main room. Don't worry. There would never be enough room for you three out there." And with that she was gone.

Aorken spoke quietly. "Something happened to her," he began. "I believe that it is indeed Katrina. There is no mistaking that. But for whatever reason she doesn't remember a thing."

"She's got to come with us," said Damian intensely.

"Yes," said Aorken wryly. "And how will we convince her to do that?"

"Focus on her confusion," Alex chimed in. "Tell her we can give her answers. We can at least tell her why she's out here."

"And we stay here until she agrees," said Damian.

Aorken nodded. "You can stay and talk with her. I'm going to contact Fabio and Brenden and tell them we've found her."

No one said anything else. Aorken and Alex fell asleep at once, but Katrina and Damian remained awake for most of the night, turning over in their heads much of the same thoughts.


	5. The Never Ending Slide

Morning broke out over the land, the sun shining brightly through the thick forest. All was quiet.

Then the softness of the morning was abruptly disturbed when Aorken and Brenden rushed in the small cabin with Fabio in their arms. They set him down on the couch and caught the attention of no one but Katrina, the only one in the cabin who was wide awake. She cried out in alarm when she saw the unconscious Fabio. "What on earth happened?"

"He's been injured," said Aorken grimly.

"Well, I can see that!" she exclaimed. "But how? Will he be all right?"

Aorken shrugged apologetically. Brenden took over. "He was involved in a Fireball spell that an Empire soldier decided to cast on us in a scene of combat. Normally this wouldn't have fazed him, but…" he sighed ruefully. "You see the result."

"Can you help him?" asked Katrina.

"Yes," Brenden replied. "But I am unfortunately not a priest. Therefore, it will take some time." Both Aorken and Brenden glanced at Katrina then made it a point to shift their gazes elsewhere. Katrina smiled sympathetically and said, "You are more than welcome to stay here, as long as you need to."

"Thank you," said Aorken, and Brenden nodded.

Now, Alex and Damian had awakened, both stumbling into the kitchen/living room area. They both stopped in their tracks when they discovered Fabio lying on the couch unconscious. Alex voiced their opinions: "What _happened_?"

Brenden grimly repeated the story. "Now," he continued, "If you could remain quiet so I can cast my spell, he'll be on his way to a swift recovery."

The room became dead silent.

Brenden folded his hands and concentrated hard. Soon Fabio's face had a slight tint to it, and the whiteness was displacing. "It will take awhile to completely heal him," he said. "Why don't we leave him here to rest and go elsewhere for our conversing, hmm?"

"Good idea," said Katrina quietly. "I'll make you all some lunch."

She led the way into the kitchen and began to rummage through cupboards, finding a box of pasta and a bag of day old bread. She began to boil a pot of water and melt butter in another pot. Then she set out brown cups and poured liquid in each of them, which she handed out to her residers.

"Where did you find all this food?" questioned Alex.

Katrina was silent.

"That's a good question," said Damian softly. "You're out in the middle of nowhere and yet you have food stocked away in cupboards. Were you expecting someone?"

"No," said Katrina defensively. "It's been like this since I got here."

"Wonder how healthy it is," muttered Damian.

Katrina turned on him in a flash. "You don't have to eat," she said angrily. "If you don't feel it's worth the risk."

Wordlessly, Damian rose and left the table, walking heatedly into the bedroom and harshly shutting the door behind him. The tension in the air seemed to tighten and the whole group seemed to draw in one collective breath.

Aorken broke the ice. "Can I help you with anything?" he asked.

"Thank you," replied Katrina as she stirred seasoning into the sauce. She and Aorken finished preparing lunch, and set it on the table for the remaining diners.

It was quiet for the moment, until Alex spoke. "Don't worry about Damian," he said to the room. "He tends to get like that when something's upset him."

"But what could possibly—" began Katrina, breaking off with a gasp. "He thinks he knows me. Yesterday he wouldn't even let go of me because of it. I'm supposed to be someone, and I don't—I can't—remember who!"

Brenden and Aorken exchanged glances. "Do not worry about that now," Brenden consoled. "For now, we must wait for Fabio to heal and then be on our way. Thank you for your hospitality."

"You're welcome," said Katrina, smiling hesitantly.

The room was silent again as everyone finished their meals. Finally, Alex said, "Excuse me," and moved quickly down the hallway to the bedroom where he knew Damian would be. He opened the door without knocking and moved toward the bed, where Damian was attempting to sleep. "Yo," he said, for lack of better things to say.

Damian shot him a tired glance. "I was just thinking," he said truthfully.

Alex nodded and stayed at a distance from Damian, waiting for him to say something first.

"She doesn't remember me," he said softly.

Alex sighed.

"She doesn't seem to remember much of anything," he responded. "I'm thinking that something happened to her; something bad. But you're not doing a very good job of getting it out of her. You can't show her your frustration. It won't help."

"I know," Damian admitted resignedly. "I just wish…" and stopped, not allowing himself to continue.

Alex moved closer to Damian but remained standing. "What?" he asked.

"I should have told her how I felt," Damian berated himself quietly. "Maybe she would have remembered that much."

"Brenden will have to determine what the problem is," said Alex. "I think it's beyond our intelligence."

"Maybe yours." Damian rose and walked right past Alex out the door. "Damian! Where are you going?" Alex demanded. Sighing, knowing that nothing he said would get through to him, Alex muttered, "I just hope he doesn't do anything stupid."

Damian did not stop until he found Katrina in the kitchen cleaning up, talking animatedly to Aorken. Placing a hand on her shoulder, he said as calmly as he could manage, "Can I talk to you for a minute…? Alone?"

She nodded and said to Aorken, "Excuse me."

She followed Damian into the living room where Fabio lay resting. Damian started talking right away, stumbling over his words. "Look, I'm sorry for…fighting with you. I—" he stopped. "I sound like an idiot, don't I?"

Katrina shook her head gently. "It's okay," she consoled. "Slow down."

"Something happened," he started again. "Things happened, things you don't remember. You had a life, a different life, but you don't remember!"

Katrina stopped to think about this for a moment. "Why don't I remember, then?"

He sighed. "I don't know that part. But I know you don't, because you don't remember me."

"Am I supposed to know you?"

It was a purely honest question, actually. But it managed to upset Damian, and she could see that he was fighting for control. "This is ridiculous," he managed. "Why don't you believe me?"

"I don't even know who you are!" she cried. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I don't know anything…why I'm here, how I got here, anything! All I knew is I woke up on the ground and I stumbled here and fell asleep. Everything else fell into place. And I've been so confused and you keep yelling at me…I don't know how to react!"

Damian took a deep breath, feeling as though he was beating his head against a stone wall that wouldn't give way. "I don't know what to do," he said simply. "You won't believe me. You won't listen to what I'm saying. I'm talking to the wall." Then he walked out the front door, not bothering to shut it behind him, ignoring her gasp and the sound of her footsteps rushing to the door, only to realize it was far too late and shut it, collapsing against it, sobbing.

He just walked. He didn't know how long he'd been gone. He knew it must have been pretty late when he saw the sky turn orange and red, then dark blue, then almost black. Now he couldn't see at all and he stumbled around like a drunkard, with no sense of direction whatsoever. He heard something. A noise. A loud one. He froze, turning in all directions, attentive now. He seemed to have stumbled upon some sort of combat scene, with one lone Exile soldier fending off three Empire soldiers. He thought maybe he should help them out, but he couldn't seem to stand up straight, let alone defend himself. Finally, he rasped out a Flame spell, which was merely repelled right back at him.

Damian felt his world go red as he collapsed somewhere in the deep black forest, wondering how long it would take for someone to find him.


	6. The Whole World

Daunting Darkness: Ah, I'm afraid Damian won't be saved for awhile, if at all. But since the angst is at the moment driving my plot…well, we'll see what happens. I'm glad you're so loyal and you always review, it keeps me motivated to update.

A/N: okay, so I'm succumbing to the whole song-at-the-beginning-of-the-chapter-thing. This is a great song by Outkast, yes I know they're primarily rap but this part fits my story:

'Cause the whole world loves it when you don't get down 

_And the whole world loves it when you make that sound_

_And the whole world loves it when you're in the news_

_And the whole world loves it when you sing the blues_

The world was grey.

It had stormed violently last night, branches tossing about everywhere and leaves scattered about the ground. The wind was still raging even now, six hours after the storm had ended.

Katrina yawned and sat up. She had been trying to sleep on the couch, but she kept getting woken up by the storm and finally she resigned herself to lying awake throughout most of the night.

Now she was hungry, though. She got to her feet and wandered into the kitchen, scanning the cupboards and refridgerator and coming up short. She smacked the counter angrily, looking about for food. This wasn't good. They couldn't stay here much longer with no food.

Her thoughts were broken by a cough coming from the other couch: Fabio. Katrina rushed to his side. "How are you feeling?" she asked him.

"Better. Brenden is a great healer." Fabio sat up and looked like he wanted to ask for a drink but didn't out of politeness. "How long have we been here?"

Katrina shrugged. "Not long. Don't worry about it. You guys are welcome to stay here as long as you need to."

"At least let me help you make breakfast for us," Fabio insisted. He and Katrina warmed up the rest of the pasta that she had failed to notice, and they decided to go hunting later for more food. Aorken and Brenden awoke on their own, and Katrina went to wake up Alex and Damian.

She stopped short when she realized that only Alex was in the room.

"Where's Damian?" she demanded, unaware of her voice climbing to a higher octave.

Alex rubbed his eyes, disoriented. "He should be right here…" he stopped as he realized that the bed next to him was empty. "Oh, shit."

Katrina's voice went shrill. "You mean he never came back?"

Alex just shook his head. "What are you talking about?"

"He—we had a fight yesterday—and he just left—" Katrina collapsed on the floor next to Alex's bed and fought to hold back tears. "It's my fault," she rasped out. "I don't know who I'm supposed to be. I can't remember. Who do I believe?"

Alex put his arms around her and gave her a hug. "Far as I can tell, you wing it," he said. "Just be who you want to be. Sometime soon we can unravel the missing-identity thing. In the meantime…there isn't much any of us can do." He put a hand on her forehead. "You know, you feel kinda warm. You're not sick, are you?"

Katrina stood up, ignoring the question. "I'm calling an emergency meeting for everyone here," she said, gripping the bedrail for support. "Meet me in the kitchen." She tried to take a step and nearly fell. Alex caught her arm. "Can you walk?" he asked quizzically.

Katrina took a deep breath. "I'm fine," she managed, but she allowed Alex to guide her down the hall and into the kitchen.

It didn't take long for Fabio, Brenden and Aorken to accompany them. They all sat around the table, waiting expectantly for Katrina's announcements.

"We're low on food," she started. "Does anyone here know how to hunt?"

Unsurprisingly, Brenden nodded. "I can hunt quite well, actually," he replied. "I'd be more than happy to help you. Aorken is also quite good at hunting."

Katrina cracked a small smile. "Well, that's one problem solved. Unfortunately, the other is much more serious."

"What's wrong?" asked Aorken, genuine concern showing in his sky blue eyes.

"Damian's missing. He—he left yesterday. And Alex says he hasn't come back since." Alex nodded affirmation.

"We'll have to organize a search party," Fabio said. "We did it once. We can do it again."

Katrina appeared confused. "A search party? What were you looking for?"

"You," Alex replied. It was the last thing Katrina heard before her head hit the floor.

"What happened?"

"I don't feel a pulse."

"Look at her. She's turning white. Completely pale."

Comments flew back and forth. Nobody knew exactly what was going on, or why she had collapsed the way she had. Why wasn't there a pulse? Had she died?

Brenden made his way through the small crowd gathered at her body, and said in a low voice: "She's alive." He placed on hand on her wrist and the other on her neck, and added, "There is, in fact, a pulse. A very weak one, but nevertheless, a pulse." Then he stopped and turned to face Aorken, Fabio, and Alex. "I don't know what caused this, but she needs treatment fast."

"We can't leave Damian," said Alex plaintively.

"No," agreed Brenden. "I will stay here with her. You and Aorken and Fabio must search for Damian. Be quick, and bring him back here in one piece." He smiled wryly. "One thing after another. It's never easy, is it?"

"No," agreed Aorken.

"While you're gone," added Brenden, "Perhaps you should search for some food, no? We don't know how long we'll be here, now."

"Yes," agreed Aorken.

He quietly slipped out the door, Fabio and Alex right behind him.


	7. Searching

_Searching   
You saw what you get  
If you take what you take  
Look in the eye of the test  
It's all because...  
Now there's a feeling I get  
When I look to the left  
But it should never be sensed  
Our searching for a sign_

_End of the beginning, by 30 seconds to mars_

"This—is—RIDICULOUS!" exploded Alex. He and Aorken and Fabio had been searching for Damian for over a week. "We're not getting anywhere."

"We don't know where to look," Fabio pointed out. "Calm down. We'll find him."

"By the time we find him a new millennium'll have started," grumbled Alex. But he shushed. After all, complaining certainly wouldn't bring them to Damian any faster. What had possessed Damian to run off like that anyway? And why hadn't he come back? The most reasonable explanation was that something had happened to him, something bad.

Alex had predicted this. He knew something was going to happen before they even left the inn. They should have just stayed there, he thought. Katrina has amnesia and Damian is probably dead, all because he thought he could be Sir Galahad and rescue the "damsel in distress" who didn't even know who he was. Terrific. Now he was missing and who knew where he might be?

He distantly heard Fabio mention splitting up and Aorken rejecting the idea. This group of three argued more than anything, and they didn't cover as much ground as Alex would have liked to. But it was something, he supposed, and something was better than nothing.

"Do you smell smoke?" Fabio asked now, almost inhaling the air. Aorken frowned and sniffed himself. "Yes."

"Probably the aftermath of a combat," said Alex. "Do we really want to get involved?"

The two considered. Then Aorken nodded. "Yes," he responded. "You never know what could have happened. You never know where it might lead."

It was, in fact, two girls in dire need of help. They had been attacked by a band of Evil Acolytes, and they didn't quite know what to do. The smoke smell came from failed Flame and Fireball spells that had been repelled.

"Well?" demanded Fabio. "What are we waiting for?"

They quietly approached the combat scene. "I'll lead," Aorken whispered. He cast a Sleep Cloud on all the Acolytes at once, and then nodded to Fabio and Alex. They exploded from the bushes, and attacked the sleeping Acolytes, pounding them with their fists, kicking. Fabio's sword flashed a few times and it was a sheer, one-sided massacre. It even looked as though they had won.

Until laughter could be heard ringing through the forest as a tall man emerged, presumably a forgotten Evil Acolyte. The girls gasped, and the group gave each other a collective shrug.

"Why, you've brought visitors." He circled the group, licking his lips. "You two have done well. Why don't you all join me for dinner?" And at once they were all in a room far and beyond the forest. Magic, guessed Alex. Perfect. Now they were far away from any hope of finding Damian.

The two girls huddled together, whimpering. Fabio spoke to them, softly.

"You must have names. Who are you?"

They cringed.

"I'm not going to hurt you. None of us will. Don't worry."

"I'm Heather," the first said, swallowing hard. "This is Katie."

Fabio nodded. "And what is your relationship with this—this—"

"Monster!" Katie cried. Heather shushed her. "Don't be stupid," she hissed. "He'll hear you."

"We've been enslaved to him for years," she continued, Katie subdued. "We can't break free. We tried to escape. You're the only ones who tried help us. It's pointless. We'll never be free." Katie began to sob.

Fabio smiled. "I believe we are here for a purpose," he told her. "Do not worry. Dinner tonight will prove it."

_Ugh_.

Damian hurt all over. He tried to get to his feet but only made it to his knees before he collapsed again.

He touched a hand to his head and pulled it away.

It wasn't red. No blood.

It WAS rather smoky, though. In fact, the dust in the air was now beginning to get to his lungs, and he started to cough uncontrollably, hacking away.

He stayed on his knees for who knew how long. Then he stood, feeling a swirling rush of blood to his head. He staggered from tree to tree, looking for something familiar that might lead his way back to the cabin.

The sky stretched endlessly, and there was no sign of anything but trees and the leaf-ridden ground. Damian began to despair. What was he thinking? He was so far away from everyone now, so far away from Katrina.

It wasn't her fault, he knew that now. If he got the chance, if he could make it back alive, he'd tell her. He'd apologize. Maybe he'd even tell her he loved her. But for now…

Wait. That tree looked familiar. He stepped closer. Yes. This tree served as the "front yard tree" of the cabin. He got to the other side and finally the cabin came into view. Who knew such a small pile of sticks (that's basically all it was really) would be such a comforting sight?

He crashed through the door and was met with arms around him, and a worried voice: "Oh, _Merlin_! I am so glad you're okay! I'm so _sorry_!"

He returned Katrina's hug quickly and surveyed the room. She was alone. Not quite alone—Brenden was with her.

"Sit down," ordered Brenden. "You look ragged."

Damian gladly complied. He stumbled to the couch and sat, head in hands. "Where is everyone?"

"They're out searching," said Brenden, sighing. He was checking out Damian's damage and trying to determine the correct spell to use.

"Searching?" repeated Damian, a sense of dread seeping over him.

"Yes," said Brenden.

"What are they searching for?" asked Damian, though he already knew the answer.

"You," Brenden replied, his wise gaze meeting Damian's. Damian sighed deeply.

The silence was tense and awkward. Finally Katrina spoke: "They should be back by now. We must send word to them that he's been found."

"We can't do that," Brenden said quietly.

"What?" she demanded angrily. "Why? You did it for me!"

"That's true," agreed Brenden. "But they have gone somewhere where they cannot be reached."

Katrina went pale, Damian shut his eyes. His best friend was gone, then. Why did he have to run off like that? It was all his fault.

"Don't blame yourself." Katrina stood and walked over to him, putting her hands on his shoulders, forcing him to look at her. "You didn't have any other way of dealing—coping. I should have listened to you. All of you." She stopped and cast her gaze on Brenden. "Something has gone very wrong. What's happened? Will we see them again?"

Brenden had appeared to have fallen into a quick deep sleep, but he was in fact very alert and his eyes snapped open. "If we are to see them again," he responded, "It will be soon. It will have to be."


	8. A Turn of Events

The table was candlelit, but the rest of the room was dark. The Acolyte sat at the head, and invited Aorken and Fabio to sit at his left and right. Alex sat next to Fabio, and Katie and Heather anxiously waited on them. Alex wanted to tell them to forget it, to go and lie back down in their cells, he was perfectly capable of clearing his own plate, but he didn't. This was obviously the way things worked around here, but that didn't mean he had to like it, and he didn't.

Aorken didn't either. "Look," he spoke quietly. "What need have you of slaves? They seem rather weak, and quite frankly, I think they are doing you more harm than good."

The Evil Acolyte smirked. "I'll bet you do," he responded. "Well, fine. If you want them that badly—" he winked "—I'll give you a wager."

"How do we know we can trust you?" Alex demanded.

He laughed pleasantly.

"You don't, I suppose," he replied. "But I can tell you that what I'm going to have you do for me will benefit many people, not just myself. And you will be honored."

"Since when do you care about other people?" Fabio asked conversationally.

The Evil Acolyte laughed again. "Now, why would you make assumptions?" he stopped for a moment. "Ah. Because of Heather and Katie. Well, it's true, I really don't care about others. But I do care about what happens to me." He lowered his voice. "Why do you think we're underground? My tower has been ransacked, all my credibility destroyed, and people after me, because I created the slimes. It all went wrong! The slimes were supposed to be our robots, our slaves, eliminate our work for us. They were supposed to be a good thing. But alas—they got too much power and ran with it. Now they're controlling brigands and attacking villages."

He leaned toward the group and smiled.

"My name is Jordan," he said. "And I want you to get rid of the slime plague. They have a headquarters where they're made. You must destroy the slime pools. I will give you twenty-four hours to hatch a plan. After that, you are on your own, and I don't want to see you until you've completed your task. And then," he added, "Should you succeed, Heather and Katie are yours."

Then they were led away to their cells, locked in for, as he said, twenty-four hours.

While they were locked away, they conferred. They were getting along now, and Alex no longer felt the desperate hostility. He was, in fact, beginning to agree with Aorken that they had been brought here for a purpose.

Fabio was speaking. "He didn't tell us anything," he said. "Does he really expect us to come up with a strategy all on our own, with no information at all, nothing to go on?"

Aorken shrugged. "Evil Acolytes can't be trusted," he replied. "I am sure that Jordan is no exception. We don't even know if he'll follow through on his deal."

"I'll bet the information is here," said Alex.

Fabio and Aorken looked at Alex in interest.

"He said he created the slimes. There must be some way to destroy them. He just wants us to do the dirty work for him."

"So what are you proposing we do?" Fabio asked.

"Kill him," said Alex. "Aorken, you're a great mage, you could destroy him easily. Then Katie and Heather will be free and we can get all the information we need."

"All right," said Aorken. "And how will we get to him?"

"When he comes to get us, we attack," Alex replied.

"And how do you know he won't send his guards?" Fabio demanded.

"He might. We kill them, too, then," said Alex.

Fabio shook his head. "Do you realize what you're asking? He could have an infinite amount of guards here."

"We've got to try," said Aorken, agreeing with Alex. "If we don't, we're stuck here."

Fabio sighed. "All right," he conceded. "We'll chance it."

As it turned out, Jordan did in fact get them himself. He seemed to be smirking. "Have you worked out a strategy?"

Aorken stepped into view, leaving Fabio and Alex behind him in the darkened part of the cell. "I believe so, yes. A rather…effective one."

"Good, good," said Jordan. "Then I can release you." He no sooner opened the door when Aorken cast a powerful Forcefield, leaving Jordan's body writhing and twitching. He died over the course of ten minutes, leaving behind a smoky, blackened corpse.

The group stepped over his body and went to find Heather and Katie, who were together in their quarters, if it can indeed be called that at all.

Alex spoke first. "We need your help."

Heather responded: "Jordan will kill us. Or worse."

"Jordan is dead," Alex replied.

Heather nodded and motioned to Katie to follow her. "What do you need?"

"Information on the slimes. We're going to wipe them out," said Aorken.

"We are?" asked Alex. "I mean, we're free, why should we—"

"It would be beneficial," was all Aorken would tell him. "Jordan has told us that he created the slimes…we need to know their weaknesses. I believe he has them documented here somewhere."

"He's got a library," Katie said, speaking for the first time all day. "If it's anywhere, that's where it is. It's this way," and she started walking towards it. Aorken, Alex and Fabio trailed behind her.

"_Wow,_" said Alex in amazement as they reached the end of a long hallway. It was loaded with various books, more than he had ever seen in one place. "Where do we start?"

"There," said Katie, pointing at an open, red book. Aorken hustled over to it and flipped it back and forth until he found what he was looking for.

"The slimes are created in a central pit," he said. "There are four small pools inside, which can be destroyed by fireballs. In order to gain access to them you must solve various puzzles. When the pools are destroyed, the barriers will be lifted and the alien slime must be killed in order to end the entire plague. That has an asterisk," he added, following it to the bottom of the page, where it read, "Rumor has it that the mayor of Krizkan is offering a very large reward for the destruction of the slimes." He closed the book. "I am sure there must be a catch."

Heather shrugged. "Who knows what might be down there. Do you want us to come with you?"

"That won't be necessary—" began Fabio, but Katie, surprisingly, cut him off.

"Nonsense," she said. "You saved us. The least we can do is help you out. It'll be our way of saying thanks."

Heather nodded in agreement. "We'll have to get supplies first," she said. "Food, and weapons. But it shouldn't take long."

"Let's get started then," said Alex, and the five of them began to move about, collecting things.

They moved about in Jordan's lobby and kitchen, packing food and bagging weapons. "We'd like to train you guys," said Fabio apologetically, "But there really isn't time."

"Don't worry about it," said Heather. "We're both very experienced mages. Our powers were…drained…under Jordan's influence. But now that he's gone, we have them back and at full capacity."

"Mages," said Aorken softly.

Katie gave him a quizzical look. "Yes."

"We should go," said Fabio, breaking the silence abruptly. "We have no time to lose."


	9. The Journey Begins

TINKERING: At one point I had all three Exile games plus Blades of Exile, but I must admit that I prefer the third one. I can't seem to get very far in the first two. My story is a combination of the second and third. It hadn't occurred to me to involve the Vahnati, but it might not be a bad idea. I hate the Chitrach (those stupid bugs) My preferred party is a mix…a couple human, a couple Nephilim, a couple Slithzerkai (the lizard ones you were talking about) so I can give them the skills that they're best with, I like to make them equally strong in different ways rather than give one person in the party all the weight. The only game I ever had registered was infact the third one…so I have the shareware too. As for the alchemist, you read my mind, because Brendan(who's a sage—someone who is wise and capable of many things, but not a priest) Katrina and Damian are off to Krizkan to find an alchemist to attempt to heal her, only to learn that…well, keep reading. How are they going to get off the Isle of Bigail you ask? Well…that's gonna be a mighty long journey, and THAT is where all those monsters come in. Poor Katrina.

MARA: Give a woop for your story, too! 'cause we all know it rocks!

I'm not asking for forgiveness  
For the things that I don't know  
But I'm really not that different  
You just made me think so  
Where does it stop?  
Where does it end?   
Where do we go?

_Everyone's a Junkie, Our Lady Peace_

Morning, again.

Katrina had never felt so tired in her life. Her neck hurt. In fact, her whole back was sore.

And then she realized: she had fallen asleep in the chair.

Also: it wasn't morning. The lamps had initially fooled her, but now she could see it was pitch black outside.

That was scary. She'd fallen asleep in a kitchen chair. That probably meant she was in the middle of doing something else. What had tired her out so much?

She stood. Feeling a blood rush to her head, she rubbed her temple and was only then aware of Damian and Brendan staring at her with concerned expressions on their faces. It was Brenden who spoke first.

"Something's wrong," he said quietly. "You're not sick, you've been like this since we found you. You don't seem to have any memory." He stopped there and perused the matter, narrowing his eyes in concentration. "What do you remember of the day you found this cabin?"

Before she could answer, Damian cut in. "I knew this from the start. Why didn't you say anything?"

Brenden sighed. "Because I didn't want to pick a fight," he said. "She wasn't ready to listen to the truth just yet."

Damian said nothing, only crossed his arms and glowered.

"Stop," pleaded Katrina. "I…" She couldn't find the right words. "I felt like I was in another world. I didn't know anything. My head was bleeding green blood."

"Green blood?" Brendan demanded.

Katrina thought about that for a minute. "I guess that doesn't make much sense, does it?"

"When reacted with blood, poison tints it green," he said slowly. "That could easily be the cause of your weakness. That could also explain the loss of your memory."

Katrina froze. She remembered freezing in this way out in her hidden spot, where she hadn't been hidden well enough, where the one person who wasn't affected by her spell drew back his bow and fired.

And then…blackness.

"I was hit with an arrow," she whispered.

Silence struck the room. Finally, Brenden broke it, saying, "We can't stay here. We need to get you to an alchemist and have you treated."

"Think about where we are," Katrina murmured.

"She's right," said Damian. "We're in the middle of nowhere."

"We're in Shayder," said Katrina, overlapping Damian. "We're on the Isle of Bigail. Any decent alchemist would be in Valorim somewhere…you know, the main land?"

"There happens to be a great alchemist in Krizkan," Brenden stated calmly. "I'm aware that it will be a long and tiresome journey, but it will be a necessary one."

"Really, I'll be fine, it'll either run its course or…can't you heal me?" faltered Katrina.

"Not without knowing what kind of poison it is," he replied.

Defeated, Katrina sighed, closing her eyes and collapsing next to Damian on the couch.

When she awoke again two hours later, Damian and Brendan were packed and ready to go.

She sighed. "I suppose I ought to get all my stuff together too."

"No need," said Brenden. "It's been taken care of."

Katrina took a last look at her shelter and nodded. "All right. Let's go."

They trekked for awhile, meeting with little resistance. And this may have been their downfall, because they began to relax. They ate their rationed amount of food.

"Where are we?" Damian asked.

"We have traveled about twenty miles," Brenden replied. "Soon we should be approaching a city with a port that will take us back to the mainland."

"Good," whispered Katrina. She was becoming increasingly pale and weak, and Brenden had the feeling that the poison had taken a second turn.

Then a large scuttling noise could be heard to the right, and a sucking noise, even louder. Brenden turned first, and sighed. "We have company."

"What kind of company?" Damian demanded.

Before Brenden could answer, the lead cockroach decided that Katrina was weakest and it wanted to attack her first. It slapped her with its tail, knocking her down with its force. Before she was rendered completely helpless, however, she was able to knock out a Wound spell, which made the cockroach fall back before it could poison her. Damian rushed at it with his spear, slicing it open. He reeled from the smell.

Brenden put the other two cockroaches to sleep with a wave of his hand, and killed them both with a wave of his blade.

"We have to leave here immediately," he said, and Damian hoisted Katrina's body into his arms. The two of them took off as fast as they could, stopping to rest only when a city came into clear view.

"How did she do that?" Damian asked. "That's a priest spell."

"Katrina is very powerful," Brenden replied. "She has access to both mage and priest spells, and she can use them both equally well. This is a large portion of why nothing must happen to her."

"What about you?" Damian inquired. "How do you know so much?"

"I am a sage," was all Brenden would offer. "We tend to be quite wise."

The sun was beginning to set, and it had gotten quite cold. "Can we afford to make camp?" Damian asked finally.

"We'll have to," said Brended, sighing. "The city won't let anyone in after dark except on specific business." He glanced worriedly at Katrina, who appeared to have fallen asleep. "I am adamant that she must be made well. She is far too valuable to lose. I believe you agree with me."

Damian couldn't speak, so he nodded in agreement. They set up a quick camp and took turns keeping watch.

It was the longest night of his life.


End file.
